Dictionary.com
definitions
  • synonyms

bumpy

[buhm-pee]
See more synonyms for bumpy on Thesaurus.com
adjective, bump·i·er, bump·i·est.
  1. of uneven surface; full of bumps: a bumpy road.
  2. full of jolts: a bumpy ride.
  3. causing jolts: Bumpy air shook the airplane.
  4. having many difficulties or failures; full of ups and downs: He had a rather bumpy career before he settled down in his present job.
Show More

Origin of bumpy

First recorded in 1860–65; bump + -y1
Related formsbump·i·ly, adverbbump·i·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for bumpy

uneven, rugged, jarring, jerky, choppy, rutted, knobby, lumpy, corrugated
British Dictionary definitions for bumpy

bumpy

adjective bumpier or bumpiest
  1. having an uneven surfacea bumpy road
  2. full of jolts; rougha bumpy flight
Show More
Derived Formsbumpily, adverbbumpiness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for bumpy

adj.

1865, from bump + -y (2).

Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night. [Bette Davis ("Margo Channing"), "All About Eve," 1950]

Related: Bumpiness.

Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper